Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-13
THE SAINTS PRESCRIBED.
A BILL THAT DIGS PoLYGAMY UP
BY THE ROOTS

Passed by the House with Great Una
nimity = Mrs. Cleveland Entertains
Death = Hennepin and Henderson -
Fighting Public Printer Benedict.
WASHINGTON CRY. Jan lathe house
spent Wednesday in the debate and passage
of the Tucker substitute for tEdmunds' anti
polygamy bill The first speech f the de-
bate was made by Game, the delegate from
Utah, who made an eloquent appeal for the
saints, saying that the bill was waatonly de-
structive of human life and an act of spolia-
ton of the Mormon church and people. The
admission of the industry Of the people Of
Utah, Game argued, destroyed the whole
case Of their enemies But even If the Nor
mofTs Were not industrious and moral, could
the evil be remedied by legislation. The
house was asked to make honest that which
was inherently dishonest good that which was
hopelessly bad, pure that which was rocking
in filth, noble and elevating that which was
ignoble-and all by legislation; in other
words, it was asked to legislate the sow'S ear
into the silk purse. Ii the Mormon people
were what popular belief declared them to
be they would destroy themselves more
by any method 10 which con-
gress dare resort II Mermonism fell,
it would fall of its own weight In conclu-
sion Game pledged his word and his charac-
ter that the statements upon which this leg
islation was based were without foundation
in fact. Time, the corrector Of all evils,
would right this wrong if such it were, and
the fiat of the Eternal had already declared
that the last vcstige of Mormonism shall be
swept away by the peaceful process of
events, if it is not that which God in His
wisdom has appointed shall survive as the
fittest, To gentlemen who had freed from
bondage the negro slaves, who loved liberty
and cherished the institutions of our coun-
try, and would bequeath them ,unsullied to
their children, he pleaded that they would
not eonsign his people to such inhuman
slavery. tApplanse.l
Bennett of North Carolina opposed the bill,
attacking the provision forbidding woman
suffrage in Utah. While objecting to woman
suffrage as an independent proposition, he
believed in the God given right of the Amer
lean people in every municipality to estab-
lish order and control their own domestic
affairs, and he deprecated the interference
proposed in the bill
Reed of Maine supported the bill The
Mormon organization was an organ ization
| inside of the United States, and controlling
one of its territories. 1t was useless to call
this bill an assault upon religion 1t was
an assault upon band of men organized for
the purpose of exclusively controlling a ter
ritory which belonged 10 the people of the
United States.
Tucker SAID that though he had reported
the bill he would vote against it if he thought
there was one thing in it which trenchei
upon the conscience even of Mormon The
gentleman from Utah tCafnel said WAIT; if
We are wrong we will sink" But the gov
erHment wanted Utah as enc OF the states of
che Union. Why did it not come I'M
Because there We're 15D00o Mormons who
would establish polygamy as one of the insti-
buttons of that state 1t was the duty OF
congress TO prepare Utah to come into the
Union and to prepare it by extirpating-
roofing out-that which was alien to the
genius of our Institutions He believed that
if this bill were enacted into law, and sup
piemented by the proposed constitutional
amendment, Mormonism would go to pieces
he meant as polygamous institution
and that Utah would be peopled by a free
people and would he ready to come into the
Union.
Scott of Pennsylvania asked leave to effer
an amendment to the bill, Tucker declined
| to permit him to do so, saying that he wanted
| TO pass the bill here and now, so that the
18th of January, 1897, would be memorable
in the history of the country. iApplause]
The bin as passed makes the lawful hus-
band or wife of any person prosecuted for
bi2aDy, polygamy, or unlawful cohabita-
ton competent witness against the accused,
and further provides for the registration OF
| all marriages, making it a misdemeanor for
any person to violate the provisions relative
to such registration. 1t annuls all terrific
r al laws providing for tine Identification OF
| the votes of electors at any election, and also
all laws comforting on the territorial courts
the power to determine divorce cases, and
abolishes woman suffrage in tine
| territory of Utah Penalties are
| prescribed for unlawful intercourse.
and polygamy is defined as marriage
| between one person OF one sex and more
| than one person OF another sex. and it liz de
clared to be felony. The financial corpora
ton known as the Church of the Latter Dav
Saints and the Perpetual Emigation Fund
company are dissolved, and the attorney gem
eral is directed to wind themup by process OF
court; and all laws for the organization OF
the militia of the territory and the creation
of the Nauyoo legion are anHulled Polyga.
mists are made ineligible 10 vote, and test
oath is prescribed to all persons desiring to
vote that they will obey the laws of the
| United States and especially the laws in re.
spect to the crimes defined in this and the
original Edmunds act.